Valve-engine for steam heating



Sept. 11, 192s.

, 1,684,225 l.. P. HYNEs VALVE ENGINE FOR. STEAM'HATING Fnedweb. 16. 1922 3 sheets-sheet 2 wvemtoz sept. 11, waa 1,684,225

L. P. HYNES VALVE ENGINE FOR STEAM HEATING Filed Feb. 16. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 gnou/woz Patented Sept. 11, 1928.

LEE-P HY'NES; OF'TALBAlNY; NEW; YORK; ASSIGNOR; BY MESNETASSIGNMENTS; '.IOl CON-'- Pari-:Nr "ii-ries.

VALVE-. ENGINE'l STEAM HiEllllflfNGrf4 Applicationnled: February; 16, 1922.l 'SerialNa 5365876.p

Forray detailedzdeseription of the present' form :of my invention, reference may be vhad to theffollowingispecification and to the aceY companyingdrawingsforming a part there-- of, lwherein F ig. l is a plan view of my device;

Eig@ isa-longitudinal section;

Figo.; 3 isa perspective' ofi it inloperatingV Vposition and.-

Eig.- 4' shows the thermostat.

My invention -isparticularly designed for the automatic; determination of icar temperature lin la i; railway car that. is steaiii-lieated .by the vapor system, but it'may be used in other situations-to ywhich it may7 be applicable. In brief'Iiprovidea:reciprocating fluid-pressure engine` whichis` applied to the central valveof a .vapor system, this engine ,being normally biased to maintain vapor on the heating pipes and beingfdominated v by 'an electromagnetic I valvew-hichisfin turn'dominated by a` magnet contained in a thermostat case and havinglv its circuitopened and closed -by the thermo stat;

Referring to the drawing, .Gry isfthe control valve fof: avapor. system which admits' steam to the heatingpipes-Gr5 ofiaica'r from the-trainl pipe G? after "itipassesf through thel reducing valve-G? which .isoperated by the outletther-Y mostatGSthrough the-agency of an angles lever Gt, the outlettliermostatbeing subject. to the outflow roin return pipes- GG of `the heating-systems.. The-stein F 0t.- the;valve-G is squared fatfits upper end. Abovefthe-valve- G IL mount', arhorizontally reciprocating e-ngine having a. vertically disposed rotatable sha-tt Eriwhich ati its -llower.v end has a :square socket. thatltits: over thesquarefend of theA aforesaidjvalvesstem .E- and at-itsupper end. is provided fwith fahandle lH; Inv the even-t. of air-pressurevbeing lacking when the valve-G is fto operated,` .the` handle H-.may` be: cnil ployedrfonturningfit which also works: the eri-gine,y since the engine -shatt- E intervenes betweenfha-ndleHand thel valvefsteni Onf saidzshaftl. isa. pinion VD which islengag'ed on one side by a horizontally disposed recipel rocal'ilek raclf whi clif has at: i its respective ends-:the large piston Av in cylinder 3 land thesinall-pistn B, invcylinderflf. Betweenthe two pistonsfisi :ar neutral Chamber 2 through which'the' rack G extends and 'which contains a sufppljnof grease or oil tor lubrication.Y 0n theifouter enzdfoficylinderi-t:is-,screwed .f a.. cap

J with anfinterveninggasket 8-.and on the outerv end of ,the larger. cylinder 3 'is screwed a cap Kwith aninterveninggasket 7.. The i capK has'a-n outward extension K1 against, l

which is seated the fla-tside of an electricf valve casing with an intervening, gasket 6 and secured by screw-bolts 5, 5; Inside of the said valve-steml is normallyy held in' itsuppermost position by meansof a spring 1.0, to'- gether with the back pressureot the. air,V and in vthis position the exhaust-valve 12 is open andthe supply-valveyllclosed. In the en?A gine wall is.a.duct 9 whichisin constanttcomf` l munication with theairfsupply by mea-ns cfa port L.v Atene end of this ,duct9 is the atore,

said supply-valveA 1l, lthe opposite. end v being4A permanently in communication.withthe rear. ofcylinder 4e. Between valves 1lV and ,-12 a.

duct 18 leads to therear. ofcylinder.-

The thermostat, asappears in Fig. .4, coml i prises a mercury thermometer Rsecuredim side a1 metal shella mountedon aboX-base T otinsulation. yThe V,bulb .ofY the thermometer i is enclosed by a thin metalsheet b which Y,eX- tends Vto the outside. ofV shell va "but is heat-iir4 sulated therefrom. Bythis-meansy the-then niom'ete-r responds instant-ly and accuratelyto the outside temperatureawithout being` re-` t-arded or affected vbythe mass of metal ,inthev shell. On thermometer Rfthere are .two con-v tacts c and d which are closed when the mercury reaches a predetermined height.. The closure of thesecon-tacts Vestablishes a circuit through thesmall magnet S enclosed in the. base, froiii'tlieiplus-"wire e of a battery,.or.v other current sourceyto cont-acts c, Zgto postf, to post g and thence through .magnet S, to. minus'wire L. The,magnet .then-closeswcon.- tacts and 70 which lestablishes a circuit .from

plus wiree7 to the kdotted-line connection c',

thence through' contacts fand/7c to wire m which leads to the aforesaid valve magnetM.: vwhose opposite `terminal is connectedto ininus'wire 71;'. When the temperature dropsy` siitciently to cause the opening of Vcontacts c, d, the'circuits aforesaid are broken and the ina-gnet-.M .releases'the valvesll. and lwhicli i are then lifted by spring 10 to their upper position.

Since the valve 11 remains normally closed, the air in duct 9 will be trapped therein at that time putting pressure on cylinder 4. In other words the duct 9 is a normally closed air chamber. That pressure acting on the smaller piston B will move it to the left and the rack C will thereby rotate the shaft E together with stem F of valve G in a direct-ion to turn the steam on the heating pipes of the car. This is what is meant by the statement that the engine is biased to maintain steam on the heating pipes'. The purpose of this bias is to insure that failure of the electric current as by the blowing of a fuse or the breaking of the tube of `the thermostat or failure of the control `valves of the engine willnot result'in cutting off the steam and leaving the car cold. If, however, the temperature should at any time exceed the predetermined degree, the thermostat will close contacts c, d and establish the circuits described above. That will cause magnet M to attract itslarmature, forcing down thev stem 18 to close exhaust-valve 12 and open supplyvalve 11, thereby admitting air from duct 9 to duct 13 and thence. to the i'ear of the larger piston A. `The greater area of piston A will enable it to overcome the opposing force of piston B, and move rack E to the right, thereby closing 'valve G to shutoff steam from the heating pipes in the car. Conversely, when the temperature falls below the predetermined degree, the Areverse actions will occur, leaving the valve G in its normal biased position to keep the steam turned on. i

To provide for operation of valve Gr in the event of failure of the thermostat, I provide the armature 15 with an upwardly projecting stem P which enters a recess in a cap Q, that screws on the top of the casing of magnet M. In this cap is a thumb-screw N which may be screwed down to engage the stem P and thereby depress armaturel. The effect of this will be to cause the action of valve G, as above described, to cut off the steam, while the reverse movement ofthe screw N will be to allow armature 15 to rise and restore the normal open position of valveG.

I have provided the engine with means for supporting it, if so desired, on a floor above the valve G, these means being slotted baselugs'17. Thus in many cases it will only be necessary to remove the usual handle fitting' over the squared end of the valve-stem F and replace it bythe squaresocket in the -lower end of engine Vshaft E, setting the engine itself on the floor through whichv the valvestem F ordinarily protrudes, and securing it by the base lugs 17. It will be 'observed that the shell of magnet M is mounted onthe cylinder casting of the engine so that the engine and the magnet are practically in one unitary structure. The handles H and N are onV the top of the structure and are readily accessible for use in the respective emergencies above described. In installing the engine it is only necessary to place it in position as ldescribed and connect the wires leading from magnet M to the thermostat which will be located at any suitable place in the car.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A fluid pressure valve engine comprising a rotatable shaft provided with valve stem engaging means, a reciprocably mounted operating member engaging said shaft, fluid pressure means for actuating said operating member, and a singlemagnetically conmeans.

2. A fluid pressure valve engine comprising a rotatable shaft provided with valve stem engaging means, fluid pressure actuated means engaging said shaft andV operable to convert reciprocating movement into rotary movement, and a single magnetically controlled valve controlling said fluid pressure means. V o

3; A fluid Vpressure valve-engine comprising a rotatable shaft provided with a valvel trolled valve controlling said fluid pressure engaging socket in one end, a cylinder in which said shaft is mounted, a piston mounted to reciprocate within said cylinder, operating means between. the piston and the shaft also within the cylinder tov convert movement of the piston into rotary movement of the shaft, and asingle magnetically controlled valve controlling the operation of said piston in both directions.

4. A fluid pressure valve-engine comprising al cylinder, a piston mounted to reciprocate therein, a rotatable valve-actuating shaft, operating means between the piston and the shaft to convert reciprocating movei ment ofthe piston int-o rotary movement of the shaft, a. normally closed air chamber exerting pressure to bias the piston to rotate the valve in one direction and a magnetically controlled valve controlling the operation of said piston.

5. Afluid pressure valve-engine comprising a cylinder-casing, a piston mounted to reciprocate within said casing, a, smaller piston also mounted to reciprocate within said casing, valve operating means actuated'by said pistons, an engine control valve set to normally maintain pressure onthe smaller piston Vand to normally` cut off pressure to the larger piston, and an electro magnet controlling the valve pressure to the larger piston.`

6. A .fluid pressure valve-engine comprising a rotatable shaft provided with valvestem-engaging means, two reciproeally mounted actuating pistons of different diameters permanently connected with said shaft,

the smaller pist-on acting to rotate said shaft to valve opening position, a chamber'in permanent communication with a source of fluid pressure and with the cylinder containing the smaller piston, a control valve for the larger piston, and an electro magnet acting when energized to open` the said control valve.

7 A iiuid-pressure valve-engine comprising a cylinder and two pistons of dierent diameters, a rack joining the two pistons, a rotatable shaft carrying a pinion engaging the said rack, a socket on said shaft for receiving the stem of the valve-to be operated, means for permanently maintaining fluid pressure on the smaller piston and an electromagnetically controlled valve for the larger piston acting to admit pressure thereto for closing the operated valve.

8. A fluid-pressure.valve-engine comprising a cylinder-casing, pistons of dierent diameter therein, means whereby the smaller one will act to open and the larger one to close the operated valve, a magnetic shell secured to the cylinder-casing and having ducts which are eontinuations of corresponding ducts in the said casing, a magnet coil in said shell, and valves in the shell operated by said magnet and a magnet coil for controlling the fluid flow to the larger piston.

9. A fluid-pressure valve-engine comprising a reciprocable piston, a rotary shaft operated thereby, said' shaft having means for engaging the stem of the valve to be operated and a single electromagnetic valve for controlling reciprocations of the piston in both directions combined with a thermostat and a magnet controlled by said thermostat and controlling the circuit of the said electromagnetic control-valve.

10. The combination with a. fluid pressure valve engine and an electro-magnetic control valve therefor forming part of the engine structure, of a thermostat, a magnet forming part of the thermostat structure and controlled by the thermostat, and a circuit closer in the circuit of said electro-magnetic control valve and controlled' by the thermostat magnet. n

11. A fluid-pressure valve engine having a horizontally reciprocable piston, a vertical rotatable shaft having a socket at its lower end, and a magnet shell mounted on lthe engine structure and containing an electromagnetically controlled valve for the engine. Y

12. A fluid pressure Valve engine comprising two horizontal reciprocating pistons, a rack connecting the pistons, a vertical rotary shaft having a valve stem connection at its lower end and extending vertically at one side of said rack, a pinion on said shaft engaging said rack, a single electro-magnetic controlvalve for said' engine, said valve being normally positioned to maintain a pressure on one piston and to normally shut ofi' pressure on the other piston, and a thermostat dominating said control valve.

13. A fluid pressure valve engine having two reciprocating pistons, one ,larger than Y the other, a vertical rotary shaft combined with a valve positioned to be located below the normal plane of the floor of a car, said valve having a vertical stem engaged 'by said shaft, an electromagnetic control valve for the larger piston, said electro-magnetic valve being normally positioned to maintain pressure on said smaller piston tending to open the first mentioned valve and at the sametime normally shutting off pressure to the larger piston, and a thermostat for intermittently operating the electro-magnetic control valve, whereby actuation of the first mentioned valve is effected.

Signed at Albany, in the county of Albany and State of New York, this 13th day of February, 1922.

. LEE P. HYNES. 

